Detroit Tigers: It Is Extremely Early, but Trading Cameron Maybin Looks Like Right Move

Detroit Tigers general manager Al Avila traded center fielder Cameron Maybin in the offseason. It is early in the season, but that looks like a shrewd move thanks to the play of two of Maybin’s replacements.

Detroit Tigers fans headed into the 2017 season knowing they would be seeing a new starting center fielder.

The position was Cameron Maybin’s in 2016, and the former first-round pick turned in perhaps the best season of his career.

Acquired from Atalanta for Ian Krol, who sported a 5.18 FIP in 60.2 innings as a Tiger, and pitching prospect Gabe Speier, Maybin was Detroit’s offensive sparkplug.

Often hitting at the top of the order in combination with second baseman Ian Kinsler, Maybin logged a 2.0 WAR and a 120 wRC+ in 94 games for the Tigers.

The center fielder also added 43 RBI, 15 stolen bases, 14 doubles, five triples and four home runs in 391 at-bats.

What’s more, he drew 36 walks en route to posting a stellar .383 on-base percentage.

Maybin made on impact on the bases as well, turning in a 2.5 BsR and a 2.0 UBR. His ability to run the bases was particularly useful on a Tigers team that has long been devoid of stolen base threats.

Overall, Maybin finished with the fourth-highest WAR among Tigers position players.

Among the Detroit players he finished ahead of where Nick Castellanos, J.D. Martinez, Justin Upton and Victor Martinez.

In other words, he was pretty integral to the team.

However, Avila and the rest of the Detroit front office flipped Maybin to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim for pitching prospect Victor Alcantara.

The team saved some cash in the deal, as Anaheim is now on the hook for the center fielder’s salary in 2017.

According to Spotrac, Maybin will earn $9 million this season.

For a team looking to become more financially efficient over the long run, the trade made was the right call for Detroit.

However, as the 2017 season has gotten under way, the production of two players has made the trade look like the right call for the Tigers.

It is obviously extremely early, but these two players are more than making up for the loss of Maybin.

Who are the two players? Glad you asked.

Andrew Romine

For years, much of Andrew Romine’s value has come from his ability to play multiple positions.

Since joining the Tigers in a trade ahead of the 2014 season, Romine has played every spot on the field except for catcher.

That being said, he hasn’t always been a force at the plate.

Romine entered the 2017 season with 386 games plated, 844 plate appearances and just 19 doubles and six home runs.

The veteran tinkered with his swing in the offseason and has been just that, a force at the plate.

Entering Wednesday, the utility ace was hitting .500 with four hits in eight at-bats.

Of those four hits, three were doubles. Additionally, Romine came around to score four times as well.

That was before Wednesday.

Romine crushed a Kyle Gibson pitch in the fourth inning for a go-ahead grand slam against the Minnesota Twins.

The four-run shot, which Romine also followed up with a single later in the game, represented the veteran’s first grand slam.

After the grand slam, Romine had more RBI on the season than Adam Jones, Joey Votto and Ben Zobrist.

He also had more extra-base hits than Kris Bryant and Carlos Gonzalez, not to mention more home runs than teammates Miguel Cabrera and Victor Martinez, as well as Mookie Betts and Evan Gattis.

Romine obviously isn’t going to hit .500 and out produce Cabrera all season, but his improved offensive play has been key for the Tigers so far.

Moving forward, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him draw more starts.

He could also garner more playing time at other positons—shortstop and right field—where the Tigers aren’t getting above-average offensive production.

In Conclusion

The decision to trade Cameron Maybin was a smart one by the Detroit Tigers front office.

Next: First AL Central Power Rankings of 2017

If Jones and Romine can continue to produce over the course of the 2017 regular season, the club should regain their status as a playoff team—they’ve certainly played like one to start the year.